Advice And Info Required Please Re Rav4 Xt4 2.0 Petrol 2003

[racingspy]

Hi - Any advice and info regarding the imminent purchase of the above model would be greatly appreciated.

I have never owned this type of vehicle before however one has caught my eye and I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy it but.......I know hee-haw about the good and bad points of this model , but I'd really like to buy it asap.

This car has 72k on the clock , looks superb , with 2 prev owners , but....there is no service history after 2006 ! ( All 4 tyres have great tread depth on them , interior clean and unmarked leather )

I believe the XT4 2.0 litre petrol has the top spec - but apart from trying the lights , indicators , windows , radio , key fob etc , I have no other info regarding this vehicle's past performance / behaviour .

Should I walk away as there is no history ? Arrange for an independent inspection , which I believe costs around £200 ? Have a pre-mot check carried out ?

The garage have said they will carry out a service and rectify any faults they find and the car is sold with the standard 30 day "bring it back if something goes wrong" offer.

Is there any major issues with this model around this mileage ?

What is the next service that is due in respect of parts requiring renewal ( filters / oils etc )

Is there a "clutch life / issue " with this model , issues with electrics , transmission etc

And any ideas as to costs and times of service schedules would also be appreciated.

Many thanks - all answers long or short will help greatly.

Racing Spy

[Raistlin]

Hi, Welcome to the club... Enjoy

It is a big investment so £200.00 for a full inspection is a small price to pay for peace of mind...

[Madasafish]

You did not mention MOT. Check the certificate and advisories and prior ones. Look under the rear wheels and under the boot for rust. As above, a professional inspection is money seldom wasted.

[pgp001]

I have a Jan 2004 XT3 which is the facelift version of yours, it has leather seats which were an option on mine but standard on the XT4. I too bought it with 78000 miles on the clock and have been very pleased with it.

Apart from new brakes and tyres which I consider normal replacements on any car, the only minor niggle is that the throttle body needs cleaning about every 18 months.

It takes me about 20 minutes to do it myself, so not a big issue really.

MPG over my 3½ years running and 20000 miles, on average so far is 30.5

Give it the usual checks, then buy it and enjoy it.

Phil

[Grumpy stumpy]

Mine has now done 71k and has been excellent. Only thing you need to check if it's a manual gearbox is to drive it and place it in 5 th gear, put it under load a little in 5 th and see if the gear lever vibrates badly or even jump out of gear, common problem and will cost around £500 to put right by a dealer. Can be done yourself as I did mine for half that. If it does it try and get it done by selling dealer or get money off. Other than that the odd oxygen sensor but otherwise excellent motors.

[racingspy]

Many thanks for your replies - I bought the car and love it to bits - The leather trim is superb and the seats are just so comfortable -

I find it smooth to drive - and in black with tinted windows it looks the part.

[firemac]

Many thanks for your replies - I bought the car and love it to bits - The leather trim is superb and the seats are just so comfortable -

I find it smooth to drive - and in black with tinted windows it looks the part.

Good for you! The petrol 4.2s are generally bombproof although they are not terribly economical but what you spend over the odds on fuel, you will more than save with excellent reliability and low maintenance costs. We had two of them (one for 11 years) and are now on our 4th RAV, such is our confidence in them. Find yourself a good main dealer or, even better, a Toyota/Japanese indie garage and you'll have many years of enjoyable motoring. Enjoy it and put some piccies up when you get time.

Good luck.

[gjnorthall]

With a car having an uncertain or absent service history - it's worth getting the car fully serviced as a good starting point of your ownership. A trader selling service is often little more than an oil change. Things like gearbox / diff oil changes are often neglected on these cars and by carrying out a full service now - you're then OK for 20 Kmiles / 2 years with an intermediate service in-between (basically oil/ filter change and a safety check).